UFC's Raquel Pennington suspended for banned substances

January 18, 2020; Raquel Pennington reacts following the loss by unanimous decision against Holly Holm during UFC 246 at T-Mobile Arena. Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports

UFC bantamweight Raquel Pennington suspended until May 17 for banned substances

By Zac Wassink | Last updated 1/28/21

The United States Anti-Doping Agency announced on Thursday that UFC bantamweight Raquel Pennington has been forbidden from competing for six months due to the use of two banned substances.

As ESPN's Marc Raimondi explained, Pennington informed USADA on Nov. 17 that she had inadvertently used two prohibited drugs while taking prescribed medications to treat an unspecified medical condition. While USADA could've suspended the 32-year-old for up to two years, the governing body instead reduced the punishment to six months retroactive to her reporting date.

She will be eligible to fight again May 17.

Pennington addressed the matter via her official Twitter and Instagram pages:

Here’s the facts. Please read. pic.twitter.com/XYmSOJ4Zs6
— Raquel Pennington (@RockyPMMA) January 28, 2021

Pennington hasn't competed since she toppled Marion Reneau in June to improve to 11-9-0 as a professional. She is currently fourth in the official UFC rankings for the division, behind Aspen Ladd, Holly Holm, Germaine De Randamie and champion Amanda Nunes.

UFC senior vice president of athlete health and performance Jeff Novitzky also released a statement.

Once she realized her potential mistake, Raquel did EVERYTHING right. “Your mistakes don’t define your character. It’s what you do after you have made the mistakes, that make all the difference.” https://t.co/oo00d0SwYm
— Jeff Novitzky (@JeffNovitzkyUFC) January 28, 2021